Managed by Creative & Cultural Skills on behalf of a consortium of employers and industry organizations including Live Nation, Royal Opera House, White Light and the Association of British Theatre Technicians, the new National College will provide specialist training in the technical skills needed by the creative and cultural industries. This is in response to significant development in the industry, with the creative economy growing at four times the rate of the national economy, and the value of the UK’s creative industries exports standing at over £15 billion per year.

With headquarters at The Backstage Centre in Thurrock, the National College will provide opportunities for students to train alongside the professionals who use The Backstage Centre to rehearse, record and film. The National College will specialize in the delivery of Creative Apprenticeships working with Creative & Cultural Skills' National Skills Academy network of training providers to deliver across the UK.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: ‘The talent which brings plays, operas, and films to life on screen and stage is the driving force behind our world-leading creative sector. UK creative industries generate £71 billion in revenue each year and support 1.71 million jobs. It’s not something we’re just good at - we are the best in the world. We must continue to invest in the next generation of talent. That is why today I am proud to announce the National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries, which will train the technicians to support our country’s next award-winning directors, musicians and actors.’

Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House and Chair of High House Production Park said: 'The creation of the National College at The Backstage Centre is a hugely important development in the breadth of opportunities now being offered from High House Production Park. We already have the Royal Opera House’s sets and scenery built on site, and the new Bob and Tamar Manoukian Costume Centre will open in September. To have such a concentration of professional craftspeople and training facilities for both students and professionals in backstage and technical skills in one place is unprecedented and will help enormously in equipping people with the right skills for jobs in the creative industries. It adds to what the Park can offer to Thurrock’s young people but will also be national resource for young people from across the country.’

Pauline Tambling, CEO, Creative & Cultural Skills, said: ‘This is a very exciting time for us all. There is an acknowledged shortage of highly qualified technical workers with hands-on industry experience, and there are rapid changes in the technology that technicians use to do their work. To be able to have a National College where we can train people in these often unseen skills, and to provide apprenticeships and industry experience, is absolutely vital.’

The Costume Centre, which is due to open in 2015, will house more than 20,000 costumes for opera and ballet productions currently in repertory, as well as the Royal Opera House archive collection, which includes around six thousand items that date back to the 19th century.

Currently, Royal Opera House costumes are kept in locations across the UK, including Aberdare and Dover; the new centre in Thurrock will hugely reduce the carbon footprint of transporting costumes, as well as allowing for more efficient management and preservation of costumes still in use. The centre will also provide permanent workrooms for students, in partnership with South Essex College, and offer specialist placements with the Royal Opera House Costume Department.

‘With the completion of the Costume Centre, there will be outstanding facilities for costume production and training, as well as for historic costumes and the running costume stock of the Royal Opera House all on site,’ says Matt Lane, Head of ROH Thurrock and Thames Gateway. ‘We know that these incredible materials and spaces will inspire visitors, excite learners and offer new opportunities for even more people to engage with the creative industries’.

‘It's great to see the next site development getting underway. Businesses and learners alike feel inspired by the Park already, and they can't wait for the new centre to open its doors in 2015,’ says Andrea Stark, Chief Executive of the High House Production Park.

‘The new Costume Centre will be an exemplar in low carbon design,’ says Andrea. ‘In addition, alongside this building project, the Royal Opera House is running an innovative low carbon programme called Culture Change. This is helping many small companies and freelancers in our sector to increase their resilience by learning how to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their bottom line.’

To find out more about our work in Thurrock or join us for a tour of the Production workshop, visit our website.

FUSED Festival, a three-day festival that includes workshops, interactive exhibitions, activities and concerts, comes to Thurrock this summer with a programme that explores the themes central to Verdi's Requiem: remembrance, conflict and loss.

On Saturday 5 July, Jeremy and Jacek will lead a creative and interactive workshop entitled Songs of Life and Death. The workshop, which is suitable for all ages and takes place from 2.30–5pm, will explore the power of the human voice in conflict throughout history. In the evening, Thurrock’s youth vocal group RM19 will perform the world premiere of A Little Thing Called Life. The performance marks the culmination of several months work, during which RM19 has been exploring concepts of remembrance, conflict and loss to create an original piece of music, drama and design.

Tickets for Verdi’s Requiem cost £15 (£12 concession) with Early Bird offers running until 23 May. They can be booked online or via the Royal Opera House Box Office on +44 (0) 207 304 4000. Tickets for the workshop and RM19 performance are available via the Royal Opera House Box Office on +44 (0) 207 304 4000. A combined ticket costs £15 (£10 concession). Early Bird offers are running until the 23 May.

The Royal Opera’s production brings to life the authentic colour and spectacle of Renaissance Mantua – including its darker side – in a thrilling tale of seduction, trickery and revenge.

The live relay is free to attend, and takes place on 17 September at 7.30pm, with pre-performance activities from 5pm. Come early to get a good spot and make the most of the evening.

Thurrock Community Chorus and RM19

Thurrock is home to the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus, a group that is open to anybody living, working or studying in the area who loves to sing. Younger singers are able to perform with RM19, the area's free vocal group for 11-25 year-olds. Both the Chorus and RM19 hold taster sessions twice a year for those interested in taking part. To find out more, e-mail getinvolved@roh.org.uk or call +44 (0) 1708 891 200.

Tours of the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop

The ROH's workshop is home to scenic painters, carpenters and metalworkers. Our tours take a behind the scenes look at the artists and craftspeople who create the amazing sets and scenery for The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet Productions and offers an insight into the skills necessary to create world class sets and design.

Inspiration Days are tailored packages of tours, hands on workshops and additional activities for schools, colleges, businesses and groups. For more information about a bespoke Inspiration Day for your students, colleagues or members, please contact us on +44 (0) 1708 891200.

Find out more about how you can get involved at with Royal Opera House Thurrock.

Andrea Stark, the Chief Executive of High House Production Park chaired the conference and keynote speakers included fashion designer Orsola de Castro and Chris Rapley, Professor of Climate Sciences at University College London.

We will soon be publishing details of forthcoming events and practical support on offer from Culture Change, which will help participating businesses work more sustainably - saving money and reducing impact on the environment.

Future events include a free workshop on 24 April entitled Environmental Action Planning for Creative Businesses by Julie’s Bicycle, webinars, and bespoke support. Find out more.

The Pop Up Festival, an event designed to inspire the next generation of story-makers, will take place in Thurrock on Saturday 3 May. From monster puppets to medieval games shows, the event will bring books to life in extraordinary ways, transforming the High House Production Park into an interactive playground of stories.

The festival, which is free to attend and open to all, is programmed by children’s writers, illustrators, poets and storytellers. Festival-goers can expect to see fantasy author Sarwat Chadda’s interpretations of classic myths (which are inspired by Marvel Comics) told through roaming performances and monster puppets; novelist Julia Golding’s Arthurian Pavilion, featuring medieval game shows, knights, minstrels and the legendary Round Table; and illustrator Jane Ray’s giant toy theatre constructions that tell tales of mermaids, firebirds and flying horses.

In preparation for the festival, Pop Up has been holding weekly workshops with members of the Thurrock community and the Royal Opera House Learning and Participation and Bridge teams. Attendees have been lending their painting, sewing, dying and making skills to help make imaginative worlds a reality and create immersive story experiences.

‘I love the fact that there are many different activities going on and you can dabble in as many or as few as you like. I have learnt many different new skills, especially relating to needlework,’ says workshop participant Jane Hainsborough. ‘Volunteers are encouraged to try their hand at new experiences being reassured that nothing will be wrong - creativity in its truest form! It's also great to see children and adults of all ages working together and enjoying the experience.’

Other highlights of the festival include a 1950s jazz joint that features cabaret, whacky cocktails and dressing-up; a pop-up art gallery where giant art-works by classic artists – co-created with children and parents – come to life; and an enormous mobile installation of an enchanted city, created on the day with hundreds of young people and families who attend the festival.

Pop Up takes place at the High House Production Park in Purfleet on Saturday 3 May 2014. All are welcome to attend this free event. Find out more.
The event is supported by Thurrock Borough Council.

Fellow Jette Parker Young Artist Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly will now make her role debut as Mercédès for this performance, as well as singing the role on 21 and 23 December and 1 and 4 January, as previously advertised.

Rachel Kelly is currently singing the role of Second Esquire in The Royal Opera’s production of Parsifal. She sang the role of the Cat in El gato con botas during Meet the Young Artists Week for The Royal Opera.

This is an exciting opportunity and creates even stronger links between the Royal Opera House and the local community in Thurrock through a unique partnership with South Essex College. As well as the storage and making of costumes for Royal Opera House productions, there will be permanent workrooms specifically for students, with opportunities for training with the Royal Opera House.

The Centre will house the majority of our costumes used in the current opera and ballet repertory and also costumes from obsolete productions so that designers can look through the available stock with a view to refashioning items for new productions. We will also make and repair more costumes in-house, relieving some of the need to outsource work, making our practices more efficient and sustainable.

Having all our costumes stored in one place and much closer to Covent Garden will help us to manage the stock more efficiently and reduce our road mileage, transport costs and carbon footprint.

Our historic Costume Collection currently kept in Dover will also be moved on site and kept in carefully controlled conditions.

The addition of the new Costume Centre also adds another dimension to the High House Production Park where, since 2011, we have been creating the sets and scenery for our Covent Garden stage, and adds to the mix of backstage skills being practised and taught on site within our own Production Workshop, the National Skills Academy’s Backstage Centre and the Acme Studios’ High House Artists’ Studios.

The building itself will be of the highest environmental standards, set to achieve BREEAM excellent status, best practice in sustainable building design.

The building of the Costume Centre is supported by European Regional Development Fund, Thurrock Council, the Royal Opera House and South Essex College.

A mix of concerts and workshops designed to engage young people and communities will take place throughout June and July, including a concert with L'Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne and performances with French dance company Eco.

'It is extremely exciting and interesting to be working with such a diverse and creative group of partners from across the East of England and from France,' said Matt Lane, Head of Royal Opera House Thurrock and Thames Gateway. 'Already, young people and communities are being engaged and inspired by this programme and I have no doubt that each final project culmination will be hugely inspiring.'

Singers and choral groups from across the area will come together for two days of workshops and performances at the London Cruise Terminal as part of the FUSED Thurrock Choral Festival. On Saturday, the workshops range from an Introduction to Gospel Singing, to classes on sight-singing and vocal warm ups, while Sunday focuses on young singers, including workshops on beatbox and rap.

Young people from Thurrock and Southend join forces with French dance company Eco and choreographer Emilio Calcagno to present an evening of contemporary ballet. Eco will perform a special adaptation of their recent work Peau d'Ane (Donkey Skin) and young people from the Gateway Academy and Southend YMCA will perform their own pieces in response to Donkey Skin.

Royal Opera House Insights return once again to The Thameside Theatre for an informative introduction to the story of Tosca. Sing some of the musical highlights of Puccini’s masterpiece with the help of professional singers and a member of The Royal Opera Music Staff. No previous singing experience necessary!

The High House Production Park will become a centre for passion, intrigue and revenge during the live relay of Puccini’s Tosca as part of BP Big Screens. Refreshments will be available and there will be stalls to wander around. Bring a picnic, a blanket and enjoy a fantastic evening of opera absolutely free!

L'Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne joins forces with composer and musician Chris Brubeck in a fantastic evening of jazz and classical music, presenting a scintillating programme ranging from Brubeck's own trombone concerto to Beethoven's 7th Symphony. The evening will include performances by young musicians from across Thurrock and RM19, the Royal Opera House Thurrock Youth Vocal Group.

Donkey Skin andJazz Meets The Classics – Beethoven to Brubeck are both produced in partnership with INTERREG IVC who provide funding for interregional cooperation across Europe.

Photography enthusiasts have the chance to win a day shadowing renowned arts photographer Clive Barda, whose work is currently being showcased in a special retrospective exhibition called Exposure!.

Visitors to the exhibition, which is taking place at the High House Production Park in Thurrock, are invited to bring their own camera along to the exhibition to take photos.

Entrants can submit portraits of themselves and friends in the grounds of the Production Park, or can book a time to visit the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop where they can photograph the Royal Opera House scenic artists and craftspeople at work.

"It was not easy for Clive to make his selection of 100 photographs from his collection of more than one million images. The exhibition should fascinate all those who not only have an interest in the celebrated artists in the photographs, but also anyone interested in seeing the development of arts photography over the last 43 years."

Andrea Stark has been appointed as the first Chief Executive of a new charity managing the High House Production Park in Purfleet. The charity aims to develop the Production Park further as an international centre of excellence for culture, creative skills and regeneration.

Prior to being appointed as Chief Executive, Andrea held the position of Executive Director of Arts Council East and South East and was instrumental in establishing the High House Production Park.

Of Andrea's appointment, Tony Hall, Chair of the High House Production Park and Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House said:

"I’m delighted that Andrea is taking up this new role. She is perfect for it. She has exceptional credentials, but is also passionate about Thurrock, passionate about cultural regeneration and a real visionary. "

High House Production Park opened in late 2010 with the Royal Opera House relocated its set and scenery construction to the new purpose-built Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop. Since then, the flagship building for the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural has opened its doors. It will provide unique training opportunities in backstage and off-stage stills. The building also includes a purpose-built 'practice theatre' with sound, lighting rigs and a fly tower. The next phase in the development of the 14-acre site includes the building of artists' studios, dedicated space for independent artists and creative businesses.